Anything Apple Can Do, Microsoft Can Do Better...

Microsoft, never afraid of entering markets it has no right to be in, has recently announced that it is following Napster and iTunes into the online world of selling music. Online music fans will be rejoicing, Apple and Napster fans will be crying in their milk.

Having watched the online music scene explode with the arrival of MP3s in the late 90's, and with the arrival, departure and revival of Napster, Microsoft can see a nice payday on the horizon.

If the browser wars were anything to go by, we should see some hot action in the pay-to-download music section, and no doubt, music lovers will see prices fall lower. The RIAA will be pleased with this announcement, and with the illegal file trading on eMule and Kazaa falling (due in some part to the arrival of masses of corrupt files), artists like Madonna and Metallica will be living above the poverty line once again.

Good job really, it was getting quite embarrassing, watching Madonna strutting around on stage in torn clothes. Maybe she can buy a new wardrobe.

Discuss this Article 136

Shaun Jacobsen (not verified)

on Feb 10, 2005

WMP is so stupid, iTunes is so musch better. It has such a simplistic interface even 100 year olds can use. When I was at a friends house on her stupid Dell, WMP would NOT let us burn a CD. Instead, it came up with some error message in some MS lingo. Yet every night I'm updating my iPod Mini and every week I'm burning CDs. Mac users are in a Park Avenue Penthouse, while Windows users are still at mama's house.
Face it: The Mac is better, they have more fashionable products. Dell and HP, etc... can't even come up with a good looking computer. They ALL look the same! And Apple has cooler and easier-to-remember names, as well. iMac G5, Dell Inspiron 8100XP whatever. Like I'll ever touch a Windows again;-)
Apple also has more frequent updates, too. A new OS almost every year. Windows? Like every 7, not counting worthless updates.
VIRUSES; yeah. There's only been 300 Mac viruses, but over 50,000 Windows, and always growing.
And MS always blames you on its problems. "YOU did not shut off the computer properly". Bla, bla, bla...
MICROSOFT SUCKS!!
SJ, 14 yrs old.

Apple looks like a toy? Excuses, Excuses , Excuses....
Reply to Jeffrey (May 3)- "PCs ARE EAISIER AND IPODS SUCK???!" Excuses, Excuses, Excuses...
Both have pros and cons...
Apple - no viruses, easier to use, comes with all apps, runs OSX, Windows XP/Vista/2000, and linux
PC - viruses, harder to use, error messages, comes with very few of crucial apps
Apple has things like - built-in camera, great programs, #1 internet server [Safari]
Windows has things like - clock and minesweeper
Windows has so few programs that in the end, it costs more.
WINDOWS IS STILL TRYING TO SOLVE VIRUS ISSUES!!.
Windows runs only Windows (Mac runs apps on all major operating systems: OSX, Microsoft, Linux)
Windows only has programs that take up huge space & are 30-day trials)
Some pcs are faster than macs, no doubt, BUT MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS (XP, Vista) SLOW THE COMPTER SO MUCH!
Also, macs have MUCH bigger hard drives. Up to 200 G for a laptob and 3TB for a desktop.
HEY AL L U PC PEOPLE! BEFORE YOU CRITICISE SOMETHING, TRY IT AND DON'T SAY STUFF U DONT KNOW ABOUT!
Oh yea almost forgot,: APPLE CEO MKES $1 A YEAR!! Look it up in the Guiness World Records.

Well not in the mood to explain why Microsoft beats Apple anyday all over again, I have to give lectures everytime some says Apple is better. Oh and the comment about Longhorn(or Vista)funny...because last time I checked they were on time and should actually make their deadline, and until you've tried programming something like that yourself I don't see how you have any right to criticize, yea sure you can joke but it's nothing easy, and if you were doing it I'm sure it would be much later.
I'm not a fan for either OS, I'm a Linux fan however I do support Microsoft more than Apple. Microsoft has so many advantages and things Apple lacks, decent security updates, much more software designed for XP, secure networking, it goes on really.

Hmmm, i have read the first couple of posts and kinda skipped through the rest.
I have never really posted anything about ms vs apple before, but heres my 2 cents anyways.
I have been a computer tech since 1998, and used MS from Dos through to Vista. I have been in the music scene for around the same amount of time, and in the last year i have had the need to start producing music. And so, i purchased a macbook pro.
Yes, like most posts, they both have their pro's and cons..... since using my mbp with Leopard, it took me only a few days to start getting around the OS and finding "alternative" programs for which i once used on xp/vista. Most importantly for me, Logic was no longer available for MS after version 5.5 and version 8 was available at the time of my purchase. Im now using my Mac for all my musical needs, PERFECTLY!. Also, because i do live performances, i NEED a reliable machine / OS so that i have errors or issues (these things can be embarrassing in front of an audience of 1500 + people), ALL my software works as it should and fast, including the odd Photoshop work here and there.
BUT!... i must admit, all work and no play WILL make Furia a dull little boy.. SOOO... i have tried using a variety of different "virtual machine" softwares eg. VM ware Fusion & Parallels but wasn't very impressed, i also found crossover, using the wine platform. Its quite good, but not 100%. So i have turned to using bootcamp to run XP pro sp3 for all my gaming needs. There are some popular titles becoming available for mac, but i like to keep my work n play separate =)
Windows XP runs native via bootcamp and Macbook pro's, having good hardware specs allows me to run the latest games at decent resolutions eg. F.E.A.R. 2 / Left 4 Dead, Burnout Paradise just to name a few.
In conclusion, i have been a MS user for many years (and know how much online security you need), i have now turned to Mac, its simple, its easy, it works well, no fiddly bits, i can have my machine on for days and take it straight to my next gig. No need for restarts, closing of apps ect. and i don't need to worry anything is going to go wrong "peace of mind" you might say.. I ONLY run XP (via bootcamp) for gaming.
My next machine will be nothing other than a mac, but i will still need XP running Via bootcamp.
BTW i have also used the beta version of Windows 7.. very buggy at the moment, it does have potential, but after playing with it for about an hour, i was verry happy to go back to Leopard =)

Whatever happens man.....Billg was the person to realise the potential......Make the products.....Translate them into Sales.......generate revenues and be the best in the world.....All this crap about mac os being better than vista doesn't make sense.......what makes sense is :who's ruling"....Billg is a smart leader.....If steve was smarter with a better product...Apple would have ruled.....The fact remains BILLG>steve jobs

Microsoft doesn't do it better ... Quicktime is still far better than Windows Media Player formats, especially when bundles with the Sorenson Pro codec. Safari is much better than IE as well, smaller, faster and more stable and handles plug-ins much nicer (and without need for Active-X). The list goes on in my opinion ... and let's see Longhorn is now delayed another what .. FIVE years?

Yes in regards to antiapple. saying "its completely for people who dont know how to use computers" is nothing you can argue about. Apple has been around around a year less than microsoft. And, if you havent noticed, Macintosh makes computers. Do you listen to music? Most musicians use apples to edit and record music before they have record deals. The reason microsoft software is used so much is because they are the most well known company. They bought out everything else. They were almost got in trouble for causing a monopoly. They are a typical american company. MONEY MONEY MONEY. Dont get me wrong, bill gates is a good dude. He donates money to good causes and all, but i use apple.

Microsoft is way better than apple, I mean there's no comparison I have tried to give apple a chance but you just get fed up with all the problems apple gives you.
Microsoft has always been the best company in computers and apple thinks that just because they try to be the bully with their insulting commercials they can beat Microsoft, Fat Chance!

Message to Phil- About Microsoft's Security Updates- They only have more because theres so many freakin bugs with Windows. I use apple because it's simpler, and thus, there are way more possibilities than with my old windows system. After all- who ever said Professionals have to do things the hard way?
And yes... they never, ever crash. They might go very slow if you're running loads of apps, but never crash.

Ok They both have their pros and cons. Apple is way easier to use and understand, it dosent have spyware or viruses or imposible to understand error messages. However, Apple is way behind in the preformance world. The average Windows computer has 3.0 GHZ and 512 mbs of RAM. The average mac has 1.25 GHZ and 256 mbs of RAM. Windows computers are good because the are cheaper. You can get a new windows computer for about $400. But with apple, they start at $500. Apple is good for some people (carefree people that dont want to deal with problems like grandma or people that are fashion oriented.) Microsoft is good for people who cant afford to get a apple or people who high speed is a must.

Apple looks like a toy???? That's the STUPIDEDST thing I've ever heard! Please tell me how this is a valid exscuse. What EXACTLY makes "looking like a toy" a bad thing? Seriously! You're making up exscuses. Someone give me one good reason why Microsoft>Apple! (Besides freaking software!!!! 3rd party fault; NOT Apple!)

Back to the topic here- why does Microsoft have to copy everything Apple does? I mean take Vista for eg.- All but one of the 'new' functions are in the current version of Mac OS X. Take Exposé- when you squeeze the sides of your mouse and all the windows shrink so you can see them all- In Vista there's something called 'Flip View' which is obviously a copy, but they've made it worse. And the list goes on- Spotlight on the mac, which is a meta search- Surprise, Surprise- it's now in Vista- and just to put the cherry on the cake- the icon is exactly the same, but just flipped.
I'm currently a Microsoft user, but I'm going to move to mac as soon as possible- I can do everything the same on a mac, using the same files like .doc- I can even install XP on it for if there's something i definitely can't do on Mac, but hat ain't gonna happen.

U GUYS SUCK i mean are u all a bunch of nerds who fight over which is better, apple or windows. OMG. the act is that xbox is the only good windows thing and that ipods are the only good apple thing so shut up and face it!!

Thomas, I agree with you. Especially Vista copied so much, but at least they will never catch Mac cuz leapord is coming out soon. Cant wait for the iphone. Hey Jefferey, does the iphone such too? Why, cuz it can do things ipods can do and has the fastes internet in the world {safari}?